Moments

07:30 Old and New

Rolling past the grain elevator under construction at Rosser, CP 9827 East faces the rising sun as it approaches Winnipeg. The track is laid in the new loop track, and soon track crews will return to put in the switches and signals to connect it to the main line to make way for 100+ car unit trains to serve the new, modern elevator. Word is that the old elevator will be retained for specialty crops. Video here

09:22 Vanishing Point

CN 2617 and and 5672 seem to be heading into infinity as they power a westbound freight past the former Manitoba Pool grain elevator outside Elie, Manitoba. Video here

10:30 Time Wears Away At Us All

Time wears away at us all
Grinding off the sharp edges
Flaking paint and rusting bolts
Fading and sweetening memories

Buried in hourglass sand, we struggle for air
We struggle to hang onto what matters
Loved ones, lovely moments, love
Drowned by the endless tides of time.

Me, May 17, 2021

11:25 Get Me To The Church On Time

The Blessed Sacrament Church in Elie, Manitoba has seen a lot of trains in its time, and so has the former convent, now a bed and breakfast. These buildings witness one more train as CN 3204 rushes through the town. Video here

11:34 I Can See For Miles and Miles

Three locomotives, three tank cars, and a few miles of potash cars. This is big time prairie railroading. Video here

Just One More Thing

I’ve been (re)reading VIA Rail by Christopher C.N. Greenlaw. This is a comprehensive history of Canada’s national passenger railway, from its CN and CP roots through its formation in the mid 1970s, surviving the cuts of 1981 and 1990, and its survival into the 21st century. It is well illustrated by numerous colour photographs and maps.

Recommended.

Buy it on Amazon or at AbeBooks